George Nikaj marked his league debut with two vital goals to guide Ramsgate to a 3-1 win away at Chichester City on the opening day of the Isthmian South East season.
He said: “It’s a fantastic feeling to score two goals for Ramsgate, they’re such a big club.”
Nikaj, who was part of Charlton Athletic’s academy, came off the bench to replace the injured Rory Smith and made the game his own.
Chichester had a couple of chances in the opening five minutes but Ramsgate soon marked their dominance.
Nikaj said: “The game went well, the first five minutes were a little shaky but we grew in to the game.
“We all believe in Matt’s philosophy, we stuck with the game plan and we started to move the ball well.”
The Rams came flying out the blocks at the start of the second half and Nikaj nearly connected with Tom Chapman’s cross but the ball eluded him and it was Mitch Chapman who opened the scoring at the back post.
“In the second half we were rampant. We took our chances and it was fantastic to get a 3-1 victory away from home against Chichester,” he added.
Nikaj has shown great promise since joining The Rams earlier in the summer. Hard work on the training ground and patience in waiting for his opportunity to arrive has been key for the youngster.
He said: “At the start of pre-season I was struggling, I would try and take too many touches on the ball but I have learnt quickly and changed that.
“I learnt you don’t have much time so I’ve adapted my game. It’s been difficult but I feel like I am improving every match.
“The togetherness is great and that’s important within a team. We now need to grow with this momentum. It’s a good start and hopefully we can carry on where we left off against Ashford.”
To see the squad attempt to make it two-from-two next Saturday against Ashford United purchase your tickets at https://www.cognitoforms.com/RamsgateFC/RamsgateVsAshford
Report and photo with thanks to Ramsgate FC
